The Minister for Education must publish the number of children currently awaiting special education school places, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins.
The Dublin South Central TD said, “the Department of Education should work with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to make the figures publicly available in the same way that the Department of Housing regularly publishes homelessness data.”
“Parents across the country are desperately trying to secure appropriate school places for their children, yet there is still no clear picture of the scale of unmet need.
Cummins said “we urgently need transparency from the Department of Education and the NCSE on the number of children who are currently without appropriate special education placements.”
“The Department of Housing regularly publishes homelessness figures because the public deserves to know the scale of the crisis and policymakers need accurate data to respond effectively. The same principle should apply here.
“Without transparent data, families are left in limbo, schools are left scrambling to plan, and opposition parties are prevented from engaging constructively with the Government on solutions.
The Soc Dems education spokesperson said “parents, schools and public representatives all need access to accurate information so we can work together constructively to ensure every child has an appropriate education place and the support they need to thrive and reach their full potential.”
“No child should be left behind because of a lack of planning or transparency from the government.”
“I’m urging the Minister for Education to immediately engage with the NCSE and begin publishing regular national and regional data on unmet demand for special education places.”